Trying to plan one now, using the online tool to price so that I can try changing cities and flights to see the effect on the "taxes." If I end in TLV, the tool won't price it ("We are unable to offer you our lowest fare...."). If I end in KRT, it prices at $7,736 base plus $2,212 in "taxes"! Why the $7,736 base?

Routing KRT-AMN-LHR-LAX-JFK-HKG-TPE-HKG-SYD-AKL-SYD-LHR-AMN-KRT, the "taxes" include:

• Jordan Civil Aviation Fee - Transfer Passengers 12.86 USD
• Tax description unavailable (YRVB) 500.00 USD
• Multiple Surcharges 63.00 USD
• Airline Fuel Surcharge 395.20 USD
• Tax description unavailable (SDEM) 823.60 USD
• Tax description unavailable (NYSE) 6.63 USD
• UK Passenger Service Charge 95.50 USD
• U.S. Customs Fee 5.50 USD
• International Arrival Transportation Tax (USA) 16.70 USD
• U.S. Animal and Plant Inspection Service Users Fee 5.00 USD
• Immigration and Naturalization Service Fee 7.00 USD
• September 11th Security Fee 10.00 USD
• Taiwan Airport Service Charge 10.26 USD
• Australian Passenger Service Charge 107.00 USD
• Australia Passenger Movement Charge 113.54 USD
• Passenger Security Charge at Auckland Airport (Arrivals) 14.47 USD
• Passenger Security Charge at Auckland Airport (Departure) 14.47 USD
• Passenger Security Charge for New Zealand 7.38 USD
• Passenger Facility Charges 4.50 USD
• 2,212.61 USD

The ones in red seem especially high and I'd like to see if they can be reduced. There's no stop-off in LHR, just connections, so I'm surprised at the UK $95.

The YR and Airline fuel surcharges are both fuel surcharges charged by airlines. Try putting your LHR-LAX on an AA codeshare and HKG-SYD on CX. You basicaly want to avoid QF and BA code where possible.

SDEM is the Sudanese tax. It appears to be based on the cost of the fare. Given your fare appears to be pricing high, this should come down when priced correctly. It will still be several hundred dollars.

UK PSC is unavoidable if you stop in the UK. Given that you say you aren't, that should drop off when properly validated but double check that you haven't got a stop over 24 hours in there.

The Australian charges are the same. Best way to get those down is to eliminate a departure from Australia as they run about $80 a pop. HKG-AKL-SYD may work for you.

Tool bug.
Expert Flyer shows the most expensive ex-KRT xONEx as 5995USD for an AONE6.

Double check this. Khartoum is classified as "Reconsider need for travel" and has a lower rating than the rest of the country ("Do not travel"). Double check with the insurer but if your travel is limited to KRT only, you may be okay.

Does it go away if I use the Canada exception and buy my ex-KRT ticket in Canada?

No. It is an embarkation tax.

Yes. Switching the itinerary to fly east instead of west, and duplicating one posted upthread, shows the base as $3,868 as expected.

KRT-AMN-LHR-SYD-SIN-NRT-HKG-JFK-YVR-DFW-LAX-LHR-AMN-KRT prices at $3,868.00 base plus $1,567.08 "taxes" = $5,435.08.

"Taxes":

• Jordan Embarkation Tax 56.51 USD
• Jordan Civil Aviation Fee - Transfer Passengers 6.43 USD
• Airline Fuel Surcharge 428.00 USD
• Airline Insurance Surcharge 3.20 USD
• Multiple Surcharges 203.10 USD
• Tax description unavailable (YRVB) 145.00 USD
• Tax description unavailable (SDEM) 401.30 USD
• Tax description unavailable (NYSE) 6.63 USD
• Tax description unavailable (NHTA) 8.46 USD
• UK Passenger Service Charge 95.50 USD
• Passenger Service and Security Charge Singapore 11.38 USD
• Tax description unavailable (OPAE) 4.99 USD
• Tax description unavailable (OOSE) 6.55 USD
• Passenger Service Facilities Charge - Japan 25.01 USD
• Tax description unavailable (OISE) 1.25 USD
• Hong Kong Air Passenger Departure Tax 15.48 USD
• U.S. Customs Fee 11.00 USD
• U.S. International Transportation Tax - Departure 16.70 USD
• International Arrival Transportation Tax (USA) 33.40 USD
• U.S. Animal and Plant Inspection Service Users Fee 10.00 USD
• Immigration and Naturalization Service Fee 14.00 USD
• September 11th Security Fee 10.00 USD
• Canadian Air Travellers Security Charge 26.11 USD
• Harmonized Sales Tax - CANADA 2.42 USD
• Airport Improvement Fee - CANADA 20.16 USD
• Passenger Facility Charges 4.50 USD
• 1,567.08 USD

Still no stop in LHR, yet a UK PSC.

That is how they were booked.

With almost $800 in fuel and similar mysterious charges, it would be good to figure out a way to lower them.

Ah, unavoidable, then.

I've double-checked, but perhaps if I have the AA RTW desk price it that will fix it. I didn't want to call them until I was ready to go, though (no sense drawing even more attention to ex-KRT).

For the UK PSC, have you created your itinerary by searching AMM-LHR, LHR-SYD, LAX-LHR and LHR-AMM separately or as AMM-SYD and LAX-AMM. If the former, there could be a bug which is counting LHR as a stop and trying to charge the PSC.

What else is allowed? The rule sheet saysDoes this mean Russia is considered Middle East and I can end there, or does it just mean Russia is part of Europe?

You can't really fuel dump a RTW. The only way to minimise it is to choose routes and carriers with low YQ which you have already done. HKG is always a little cheaper for YQ and if you are avoiding QF and BA code there is little you can do to make it better. Frankly, $800 in YQ on this sort of ticket is not bad at all.

On a separate note, I'd suggest that some of the Multiple Surcharges is actually the Australian charges which will be about $80 as they don't appear elsewhere.

Russia is part of EUR not the ME.

Geez. I thought that they were based on the price/value of the flight on which you are embarking from that airport. It's based on the total fare on the ticket for the entire journey? Any other places do it like that?

No
For 'completeness' the rule sheets lists a bunch of countries that are usually not considered part of either Europe or the Middle East (but in reality are part of Africa):
And when S7 joined OW, the list was augmented with 'The Stans' and Russia East and West of the Urals

The individual countries in the Middle East (Jordan, Oman etc) and in Europe (UK, France etc) are not listed

In this regard, I have always been a little surprised that the Middle East exception to the starting-ending point allows itineraries to start from Sudan and end elsewhere (in the Middle East). To my mind Sudan is not in the Middle East

Regarding the booking of RTWs...

I understand that all travel needs to be completed within 330 days (?) of the trip's commencement. If I'm planning to start a RTW in 10 months, I can't book flights using the online tool for greater than 365 days (?) from today. So... how do I do it?

Also, once ticketed, what are the penalties, etc. and implications associated with a date change? Either before or after the first leg is flown?

Thanks!